a glimpse into poem it out

As I continue to gather poems and prompts and other good things for (More) Poem It Out that begins on Monday, I feel neck-deep in the raw beauty and truth that is poetry. This course comes right from my heart to you because I know poetry can change your life. It has changed mine as it has given me a lifeline, a way to tell my story, and way to feel less alone. It is one of the handholds I turn to again and again to support me on this crazy, awesome path that is life.

Today, I want to share a glimpse into how I teach my ecourses. Throughout (More) Poem It Out, I will be sharing stories, poetry, and prompts through video. I do this because it is the closest I can get to feeling like I am sitting in a circle with you sharing in person. The following video is from the first week of my previous Poem It Out class.

(if you are having trouble seeing the video, click here to watch on vimeo)

And to be totally honest, when I record these videos, I feel like you are there. This is why I decided to create all new content with this next Poem It Out course. I wanted to start new conversations about new poets and new prompts and new stories.

As I talk about with my friend Jen Lee in our recent conversation on her Retrospective Podcast, I really feel like a companion for the people who show up to this space and begin to have a conversation with me on the blog, in my courses, through my newsletter, or in person at workshops and retreats.

It is a gift to me to be able to say to you: Here are some practices I use to feel more connected to myself, to life, to this moment. Here are some stories about how I use those practices and how I've stumbled and walked through grief and sat inside joy and decided to keep walking.

The Poem It Out ecourses are the way I share my most personal poetry adventures and create the space for you to open your heart to your own.

I hope you'll come along. 

Find out more and register here.

poem it out starts monday

A quick reminder that Poem It Out begins Monday and there is still time to join in for five weeks of poems + poetry + a few photography/self-portrait adventures.

What does it mean to POEM IT OUT? 

Life hands us so much. Our brains and bodies become so filled with information and worry and uncertainty and beauty and joy and silliness and loneliness that we can sometimes feel empty. 

And when I need to fill the well within, I turn up Mumford & Sons and dance in circles until I feel only my heartbeat. I take a self-portrait to remind myself I am not disappearing. I call a friend. I sit and just try to breathe. I eat a dark chocolate peanut butter cup from Trader Joe’s.

But when I really need to clear my mind and reboot, I poem it out.

I read a poem to feel less alone and less crazy and more in love with this moment right here and the world around me. I pull Mary Oliver, Sharon Olds, or William Stafford from my bookshelf and read out loud until the rhythm of their words quiets my breathing and I feel space within again. 

I turn to the blank page to write a poem to unearth the moments that make up all of who I am and where I have been and what I have seen. Sometimes I try to drill right down to the truth and the pain and the beauty so that I will not forget. Other times, I just write a few words that make me happy and bring in lightness and silliness and remind me of my grandmother’s laughter. 

When I poem it out, I find my way back to me.

Find out more about Poem It Out and register here.

poem it out

poem it out

Maybe it is something about summer and the way my senses feel so intensely aware of the season or maybe it is how tender I feel some days as I try to find my way alongside a determined, super smart, but not talking a lot yet toddler or perhaps it is simply because working through Inner Excavation alongside a group of people has brought it up for me almost daily...but for some reason, I am turning to poetry even more than usual as a lifeline these days.

There is something about poets and the way they just get to the point. And then there is the way they hold up a mirror with their rawness and honesty and I am forced to let go of the "shoulds" and the "I thought I was the only one assumptions" because I see myself reflected.

And when I give myself the gift of just one minute alone to breathe deeply and try to get out of my head, I find myself hearing a line of poetry within that quiet. Sometimes I rush to get it down; sometimes I let it pass through me and travel out the open window.

Tonight, I sifted through a few pages of Pablo Neruda and felt a hunger to write more, to listen more to those words when they rise to the surface in the quiet, and honestly, it made me so glad that writing poetry in community won't end when Inner Excavate-along ends because the next session of Poem It Out begins July 30.

Creating Poem It Out broke me open. I let all of my love of poetry fly out of me from the place where I had been keeping it a bit too contained for one reason or another. It flew out of me and onto the page where I rearranged it and created an outline that became a course for others to join me in a poeming adventure. 

And as we worked through the class together, I began to realize that poeming feels like a way of living. It is a way to be present and open to this moment right here. It is way to sift through what has been. It is an access point for joy, beauty, and truth.

Here are a few words from participants of the last session:

So many things are coming to the surface for me as I soak in each lesson. So many doors opening inside me. Stories emerging. I have taken so many notes and have scribbled things down I don't want to forget...This is a whole new approach to writing for me and I am digging deep in my dig site. It is a comfort to know I am not alone...I love your videos and love hearing your voice. I wish I could hear you read a poem every single day. I feel so safe here. My heart is opening; my stories are emerging. I knew this class was going to be good, but I had no idea I would go so deep. 
Jennifer Belthoff, Spring 2012 participant

I took this course to renew my love for poetry. I thought it would ignite a spark that was lying dormant within for quite some time...It did all that and so much more. I look at things more deeply, I listen carefully to words spoken around me, I look at the beauty of my world, I read more intently, collecting thoughts and words along the way. This course came at the perfect time in my life and gave me my voice back, thank you for that. 
Donna Wynn, Spring 2012 participant

And one of my favorite middle of the night emails I've ever received:

It's 1:02 AM and I am snuggled in bed with my husband asleep beside me (hardly ever awake at this hour; at least not by choice) searching for and reading poetry on my iPhone. I just thought you might like to know this as I wonder whether Poem It Out can just go on forever.

Paula Moritz, Spring 2012 participant 

I'm telling you all of this today because this is what I know: You are a poet.

Yes.

You.

(Seriously.)

And if you are looking for a safe, fun, real space to begin to or continue to explore the world of poetry, as a reader and a writer, I would love for you to come along.

Read more about Poem It Out, including the FAQ over here.